TroyEros

This is off topic, somewhat...But I wish I could understand architecture better. I sort of hate that my eyes don't have the same knowledge as some of you. I can appreciate it, but I can't really appreciate the minor things that most people don't notice like scale, dimensions, etc. Those meticulous things. For instance, when I see the U square at Clifton, I can tell right away how ugly it is. But when I see this current Liberty and Elm project I don't see the issues with it. I see infill that still pays tribute to the surrounding environment (sans that ugly parking garage) and does a good/decent job of blending/shading in the missing spaces. But when others see something that's atrocious, I feel like my eyes are broken and wish (to some extent) that I can see what some of you are able to.

Was Crave just medicore, or is the banks really that difficult of a setting to sustain a successful restaurant?

Source 3 is once again in the latest HCB (among other things) http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/buildings/historic-conservation/historic-conservation-board/september-26-2016-staff-report-and-attachments/ Slightly better rendering on pg 20. Again, I know I'm in the minority but the project looks pretty good to me. That density is also really sexy on that corner as well.

If we think long term though, we hope that the demographic of the urban core changes. Its nice that we have those who live in 500 square foot apartments in OTR (which doesn't really suit for self storage), but at the same time it'll also be nice to have large families moving to the urban core as well. That category of potential urban dwellers will need storage options.

I'm not disagreeing. At the same time I want this new venture to be succusful for the long term. I just don't know how well known or popular it will become when surrounded by alot of, "nothing". It's not a desirable neighborhood in the slightest, and the neighborhood is only on the radar for cincinnatians because of camp washington chilli. Not wishing ill will in the least bit, but from a business perspective it makes me scratch my head on picking that neighorhood (at it's current state of development). Heck, I think Walnut Hills is more up and coming with Gomez, that new BBQ joint, and 5 points alley. At least that neighborhood is building a ecosystem that fosters new development, and those businesses can feed off each other. I can't say the same for Camp Washington.

Seems like a really hipstery concept for an area that's still struggling to find it's identity. Truly surprised this isn't in the likes of Northside instead.

I'm just curious how they plan to stick to this new format when those lots get developed. It's not a sustainable plan in the least bit. This might last for the next few years, but at the rate OTR is getting developed, the whole, "lets find a giant empty lot to host our music festival" will become harder and harder. In my dream scenario it would be potentially awesome to host Midpoint across a future, redeveloped liberty street. It would be really cool to just shut that street down, and sort of host it at the epicenter of OTR, and have a festival after party that sort of intersects through the beginning blocks of Race/Vine/Walnut/Main, as sort of like a giant, in the middle-of-it-all, festival of sorts.

Think it's possible to get a photo update of the Shakespeare theater, and the 15th and Race project (and other development projects around OTR that are currently occurring?). I'm not able to go down to OTR and much as I used to, and I really enjoy your photo updates! Also, on a side note, I wonder when 15th and Vine will start. 3cdc usually has a tendency to not work on multiple projects simultaneously, so I'm guessing they are probably waiting to wrap up 15th and Race before beginning.

To be fair, the Thunder-dome group is absolutely killing it with their restaurant concepts. I don't know what their future trajectory or growth plan is, but their lineup can easily go nationwide and be successful. I just went to Currito today, and it was surprisingly decent. I'm not sure if it's a chipotle killer, but it's a really serviceable place. I'm also surprised that their is no Currito in OTR. Besides Gomez, OTR really lacks any true grab and go places. It's all mostly fine dining, or sit down spots. Finally, regarding the quality of The Eagle, and the comparison to Apple Bee's....I think the 3 hour wait times speak for itself. It's an established place in OTR, and brings customers from TN, KY, and IND on a pretty frequent basis. Their might be better chicken out their for sure, but there product (and menu in general) is really damn good, and saying it's no better than Applebees is pretty offensive for a Cincinnati startup that started from ground zero, and is now expanding with different locations. If anything we should be proud that this is coming out of Cincinnati, and OTR no less. We are creating true, viable businesses, and we should hope that the other restaurant groups are just as successful.

What's the ETA on the ride time then, John, if you were traveling from the banks to uptown? Btw, I think this proposed plan can be an incredible way to repopulate our urban core. With the amount of hospitals there are, you would think that this could become a catalyst for those employees to ditch the long car commute in favor for a more speedy and more simplified transit option and thus move downtown. Same goes for uc employees and students. It gives them new downtown living options instead of the student housing options that are already available. This could be huge for this city if we get the ball rolling on this.

So where would the station be located to enter the uptown route? Are we essentially having this tunnel route, be connected from OTR to Uptown? So essentially if I'm at the Banks, I would have to take the street car up to OTR first, and once I arrive to OTR, jump off to the corresponding station, that will take me to Uptown and back. So basically it's a dedicated transit light rail line that only connects OTR and Uptown. What street would this take place under? Sycamore Street I'm guessing?

So what's the steps in that case? Devise a solid, physical plan with blue prints and sketches? Then propose this idea to the city council? And from their, if city council deems in feasible, then apply for a federal grant for this project? I'm just trying to sketch out an outline of the steps. I know John Schneider is the god father so to speak when it comes to transit, and alot of people listen and respect him when it comes to his ideas and proposals. I'm just curious of John has a plan set out to bring this forward in the coming months/year(s) ahead.

In regards to the hypothetical Mt Auburn tunnel plan to Uptown...What's the plan in terms of bringing this to fruition? I understand more than likely we have to wait for Cranley to be out of office (and hopefully Yvette Simpson will be our new mayor) in order for this to really start churning..But how do we get this conceptual plan that Mr. Schneider is proposing, and have it become something that we can start working towards? Does this plan have to be presented to city council? Do they have to approve this? I guess, I'm just wondering how do we transition from brainstorming, to actually get the wheels turning. I know it's early, and the street car has only been working for a week or so, but at the same time I don't want to have to wait another 10-15 years just so I can travel to Uptown from say OTR or the CBD via this proposal :/

There's still to be discovery to be made. I was walking around UC main, and heard a conversation about OTR is a place you want to avoid. I still think were not fully there yet regarding the trans formative perception of OTR, and I'm sure we will continue to see young people stumble and rediscover OTR for the first time in the coming years ahead.

I learned about it through this Instagram post: Did some digging, and lead me to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Starkhaus-Brewery-763917837002218/?ref=page_internal Some basic info. It's going to be a Craft nano brewery in the making in OTR. Located on 260 stark street in the brewery district. I'm guessing there's a slight nod to game of thrones in association with the street name it's on.

I guess my main point is why does Main St struggle so much from a business stand point? It's easily the prettiest, most intact street in all of OTR. Almost all of the retail store fronts are rehabilitated. You would expect it to be lined head to toe with restaurants and cafes, and bars. Instead, it seems whenever you hear a new restaurant open it's always away from Main St. I'm just trying to understand why there seems to be less interest in Main St overall?

I'm so confused as to how they are able to stay viable with so many locations? I was under the impression the Tuckers in the Southern portion of OTR was damaged?

There's such a strange dichotomy with OTR. I just don't understand how you can have one street that's flourishing like Vine St, yet have a street like Main St that just utterly feel lifeless and dead. I know 3cdc has a played a major role, but you would think the allure of OTR in general, from a business stand point at least, would have droves of businesses seeking to open up shop on Main St (especially most of those buildings and store fronts are already renovated and ready to go). That's why I still think that OTR is still such in an infancy stage at this point. You really only have 1 viable, truly bustling street (Vine), and a block of Race St, with businesses scattered about along 12th East St, and Walnut. Most of OTR, aside from Vine St, and a block of Race, just feels dead around sundown :/ I can't imagine how much losing Neon's and potentially Japps will add to the equation for Main St. I also feel OTR has been losing quite a few businesses as well. Madd Casa closed on Walnut St. Happy Belly on Vine closed on Vine St. I know quite a few businesses have closed on Main St in the past few months. It's just a really weird place for OTR where it's really hard to gauge where it's at.

That's incredible if that does indeed happen. Main St in OTR will be incredibly dead at night if this comes to be the case. These are easily the two most popular bars in all of OTR. Losing them will be absolutely devastating to say the least.

Can we please just make this system free? The machines have confused quite a number of people, or is out of order. It's not as simple as 1, 2, 3. And seems like no one pays for them anyway.

I can confirm there were many groups of people who did not pay for their ticket. Not sure if this affects the streetcar attendance count. But some of the machines were not accepting credit cards, but did accept cash. Except it did not give change back if you had a large bill. I heard many chatter about how no one checks for your ticket, and went on for free. I can confirm that no one has checked since I've been on either. Again if paid tickets are part of the attendance count then we might see quite a skewed number because of the machines, and the fact no one seems to think you need to purchase tickets since of how crowded the cars are, and how no one validate them on board.

Yeah if you do google street view of the Old West end you can see streets that are incredibly intact. So much underutilized potential.

That's why it was interesting for me to see Joseph Creighton establishing a new restaurant/bar in the old west end. He's a pretty wealthy restaurateur (owner of cheapside, at the rookwood resturaunt). It makes me wonder why out of all the places remaining in OTR he chose the old west end? Same goes for the Brush Factory setting up there retail shop in the old west end as well. It just makes me curious, why are we seeing this become an area of interest to business owners, especially when there's so much left to redevelop in OTR?

The old west end is such a tricky matter. On one hand there's sections of the west end where it's incredibly intact even more so than OTR, and then you have other stretches where it's like a complete wasteland and needs so much infill work. I just have no idea how you even begin to go about tackling that district :/ I can't even imagine how far we are from having the west end be on the radars of the big players like 3cdc and the like. On one hand it's the perfect accompaniment to OTR. There's no reason that these homes couldn't fetch well over half a million or more as OTR increases in property value. But at the same time, I feel like OTR in itself is a project that will take at least 20 years to fully complete, and I'm afraid that the Old West end will continue to deteriorate as OTR is being caught up.

I understand that, I'm just confused where they found a storefront. That street is full of houses... Not that I'm complaining. I would love to connect the old West end to otr as and extension of a larger entertainment district.